Are You Eating Enough Fruit? May Decrease Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

A recent study shows that eating certain types of fruit may help to lower your risk for type 2 diabetes. However, according to reports via Isao Muraki, Ph.D., MD, from the Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, some fruits may be better than others at preventing the health issue.

"Increasing fruit consumption has been recommended for the primary prevention of many chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, although epidemiologic studies have generated somewhat mixed results regarding the link with risk of type 2 diabetes," the authors note, via the study. "The inconsistency among these studies may be explained by differences in types of fruits consumed in different study populations as well as difference in participants' characteristics, study design, and assessment methods, although a meta-analysis did not show that the associations differed by sex, study design, or location."

In order to better test their theory for the diabetes risk, the investigators looked at data from 3 studies, including the Nurses' Health Study, the Nurses' Health Study II and Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Participants in all 3 of the studies were asked to complete questionnaires regarding health and overall lifestyle upon completion of the study.

The researchers looked at the risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as missing data for fruit or fruit juice consumption or a low caloric intake.

Study results showed that approximately 12,198 of the participants out of 3,464,641 involved developed type 2 diabetes after years of follow up. The researchers believe that 3 servings of fruit per week lowered a person's risk for type 2 diabetes, according to these findings, and diet based on the participants.

Another analysis also showed that consumption of high glycemic fruits was also linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

Are you eating enough fruit?

More information regarding the study can be found via the National Institute of Health.